BOTM 2 – July 2023 – The Duke in Question

[Sandra]

Discussion thread for the 2nd BOTM for July 2023. Please remember to use the spoiler tags when necessary! (Please see 'some HTML is ok' for instructions.)


The Duke in Question

Join us in reading this HR that features the theme Age Difference!

Synopsis:

James Bond meets Bridgerton in this steamy enemies-to-lovers historical romance from USA Today bestselling author Amalie Howard:

This lady won’t let a savvy duke sway her from her mission.
The Duke of Thornbury, retired agent of the Crown, has never lost a target.

In a flirty game of cat and mouse, a spy must keep his enemy close to unravel the secrets that threaten to tear them apart.

Lady Bronwyn Chase is far from the paragon of society that her mother expects her to be. Which is why she’s on her brother’s passenger liner bound for America with a secret packet of letters that could get her into trouble. Serious trouble—the kind that a duke’s sister shouldn’t be in; the kind that puts spymaster Valentine Medford, the Duke of Thornbury, on her trail. But as the duke gets closer to Bronwyn and the secrets she’s keeping, he’ll have to decide between the mysterious woman who calls to him, or his allegiance to the Crown.

Happy reading!

[Maureen]

I just borrowed this book from the library. I loved the Beast of Beswick that we read as a Fairy Tale "Beauty and the Beast" so I hoped this book would be as good. And it did not disappoint. It is the third book in this series but you can read it as a stand alone too. The characters from book two are in this story but not all the way through for those of you who like to read books in order in a series.
This was a page turner and I especially liked the love scenes. Very hot! I gave this five stars.

[Lauren]

what is the age difference?

[Maureen]

Lauren wrote: "what is the age difference?"

In the book it doesn't give their exact ages other than the H Valentine Duke of Thornbury is the same age as the h's eldest 1/2 brother the Duke of Ashvale. I'm guessing 15 years?

[Lauren]

Thanks, Maureen!

[Mariana]

I will join in on this one after I finish BOTM 1.

[Mariana]

I started reading. It's not drawing me in from the start for some reason, but most of the reviews are positive. I will continue on.

[Missy]

I finished the audiobook a few days before July since it was available at my library.

I don't enjoy romance with espionage, so I went in with little expectations. I felt the story stayed too long on the ship traveling to America. I was getting bored and was ready for the story to move along. When they were still on the ship, I got anxious wondering when the hero will discover that the heroine is a spy. (view spoiler)[ I didn't think she made a good spy. (hide spoiler)] I stopped listening for a day or two and considered trying again a few months from now when I'm in the right mood for an HR with spies. Somehow I managed to pick it back up and complete it.

(view spoiler)[The first sex scene took me completely by surprise because I was not expecting the heroine to be that comfortable in her own sexuality. I was like, "She did what?! And she's a virgin?!" Nevertheless, it was steamy!

The heroine used the F word once or twice when she was furious with the hero in one scene, which took me off guard. I can't recall if the hero used the F word, too, at any point in the book.

I felt their relationship was based more on lust. I wonder if we needed to read the previous books to see how these two interacted with one another for better depth of their relationship. 🤔🤔🤔

I read the first book in the series but I don't remember anything from it. I haven't read the second book because it didn't interest me. (hide spoiler)] I don't think this author's work is for me.